1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auxiliary memory device detachably connected to a main apparatus, for storing data of the main apparatus, a method of setting time for an electronic device to set time information of the electronic device, and an information processing apparatus comprising a main apparatus for processing data according to an application program and an auxiliary memory device for storing data from the main apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional auxiliary memory devices such as memory cards or the like for insertion in information handling apparatus comprise an interface for connection to a main apparatus and a nonvolatile memory for storing data.
FIG. 16 shows an arrangement of major components of a conventional memory card 300. The memory card 300 comprises a control means 301 for controlling operation of the memory card 300, a connector 302 for connecting to terminals disposed in a slot in an information handling apparatus, and a nonvolatile memory 303 for storing data. The connector 302 and the nonvolatile memory 303 are connected to the control means 301.
The control means 301 comprises a microcomputer, for example. The nonvolatile memory 301 comprises a flash memory such as an EEPROM (electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory). An interface for connecting to an information handling apparatus may comprise a microcomputer as a control means for analyzing a protocol.
FIG. 17 shows control items in the control means 301 of the memory card 300.
The memory card 300 only has a main apparatus connection interface for connecting to a main apparatus such as an information handling apparatus and a memory interface for receiving data from and outputting data to the nonvolatile memory.
The memory card 300 is used, for example, as an auxiliary memory device for a conventional video game apparatus such as a home TV game apparatus.
If the memory card 300 is used as an auxiliary memory device for a video game apparatus, then the result of a video game obtained when the application program of the video game is executed and transmitted to the memory card 300 is written into the nonvolatile memory 303 by the control means 301.
As described above, the conventional memory card 300 only has a main apparatus connection interface for connecting to a main apparatus such as an information handling apparatus and a memory interface for receiving data from and outputting data to the nonvolatile memory. Therefore, the conventional memory card 300 simply functions as an auxiliary memory device.
For example, the memory card 300 simply stores the result of a game when the application program which is executed to play the game on the main apparatus is temporarily interrupted.
In recent years, it has been practiced to measure time data according to the actual time while the application program is being temporarily interrupted. Such time data measurement may be achieved by an adapter connected to the main apparatus. However, using the adapter is expensive. It is desirable to be able to measure the time data even if the main apparatus does not have a function to update the time data.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary memory device which not only stores data, but also measures time information managed by an application program of a main apparatus, a method of setting time for an electronic device, and an information processing apparatus.
Since the auxiliary memory device according to the present invention includes a clock unit having a clock function, it can measure time information to update time information.
Therefore, the time information of the application program of the main apparatus to which the auxiliary memory device is connected can be set to the time information measured by the clock unit of the auxiliary memory device.
The method of setting time for an electronic device according to the present invention sets time information managed by the application program of the main apparatus based on time information from the clock unit of the auxiliary memory device. The application program can be executed using the measured time information.
With this method of setting time for an electronic device, therefore, the application program which has temporarily been interrupted by the main apparatus can be resumed using the time information measured by the clock unit of the auxiliary memory device.
Furthermore, the information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes the main apparatus having a processor for processing data transmitted via communication means, and the auxiliary memory device having memory means for storing data to be transmitted to at least the main apparatus, and a clock unit having a clock function. Time information managed by an application program of the main apparatus is set by time information from the clock unit which is transmitted via the communication means. The application program can thus be executed using the measured time information.
The information processing apparatus is therefore capable of resuming the application program which has temporarily be interrupted by the main apparatus, using the time information measured by the clock unit of the auxiliary memory device.